


A day at the beach

by Lasoona



Series: Elfgard one-shots [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byleth is slowly learning to use her puppy eyes to her advantage, Edeleth goes to the beach, F/F, Tbh at this point just assume I'm always writing with my woc Trans!Byleth hc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22275922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasoona/pseuds/Lasoona
Summary: Finally finding time to escape from the stress of life in Enbarr, Byleth decides to take her wife to the beach
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Elfgard one-shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573918
Comments: 8
Kudos: 63





	A day at the beach

**Author's Note:**

> Another Elfgard fic for Nova, this time as fluffy as I could make it

Edelgard had always loved the outdoors. Out under the open sky, the wind in her hair, perfectly complimenting the fresh air and smells of wood and earth that fill her lungs. Though this time it was more the smell of salt and seaweed.

Why she had agreed to let Byleth drag her to the beach, she had no idea. Soft laughter met her ears, prompting her to look towards the ocean from her seat on a towel over the sand. The teal-haired woman to whom the laugh belonged was currently splashing waist deep in the water, seemingly marveling at how the water rippled around her as she moved. 

Edelgard pressed a hand to her head, holding onto the sunhat she'd brought along as a gust of wind threatened to send it flying. The wind always made Byleth's hair flutter in the most lovely way. Especially as the former professor exited the water and made her way back to the Emperor, absolutely beaming all the while.

"You should come in the water with me, El!"

Edelgard grimaced beneath the brim of her hat. She knew Byleth had brought her out here to relax, but she had a… dislike for the water.

Another gust of wind had Edelgard pulling the hat a bit lower, shifting it further down around her pointed ears, her eyes habitually darting around, acutely aware of every other person on the beach as her hat threatened to take flight.

Edelgard looked up to her wife, the woman resembling a small puppy with how she pleaded, eyes wide, her bottom lip jutting out in the most adorable way. It made it very difficult to say no to her, it wasn't fair.

The next moment, Byleth was plopping down onto her own towel next to Edelgard, entangling their fingers, "You don't have to if you don't want to, El," Byleth beamed up at her, "We'll have fun even without water! Like this!"

Byleth reached behind her to the collection of items she'd gotten from Anna's shop, grabbing a wooden hand shovel. The woman had provided her with that, a bucket and molds that resembled castle walls, saying something about making a "Sand castle". They were close enough to the water that Byleth only had to take a few steps to get to more compact sand, using what appeared to be all her strength to jam the shovel into the ground, burying it up to the handle.

Edelgard began to tentatively make her way forwards, curious as to what exactly her wife had planned. It was at that moment that Byleth pulled with all her strength, creating a cracking bulge in the sand where she fought with the beach itself to yield to her as much sand as possible. Edelgard opened her mouth to offer a solution when Byleth succeeded. Mostly.

The shovel suddenly broke free, the tension snapping like a crack from the sword of the creator's whip. However, pulling with all her might as she was, Byleth was quickly met with a facefull of damp sand.

“Eugh,” Byleth’s face scrunched as she attempted to keep sand out of her eyes and mouth. A soft giggle washed over her as she attempted to wipe it off, prompting her to stick her tongue out in the direction of her wife. A mistake, as she had yet to finish getting the sand off. Byleth was soon bent over as she sputtered, trying her damednest to remove the sand from her tongue, sending Edelgard into another giggling fit.

Edelgard’s eyes squeezed shut as laughter wracked her body. She slowly opened her eyes once her laughter subsided. The sight now before her sending a light dusting of pink across her cheeks.

Byleth, now only slightly sandy, sat with a soft smile gracing her face, her eyes wrinkled in happiness and locked onto her wife.

“W-what?” a sheepish smile flashed across El’s face, a reflex upon seeing Byleth happy.

Byleth tilted her head, “I love hearing you laugh,” The former professor pushed herself to her feet, hand reaching out to brush a pink cheek, leaving a streak of damp sand, “Ever since the war ended I’ve been hearing it more and more, and I never tire of it.”

Edelgard’s blush deepened, the Emperor averting her gaze. The love and affection that stared back at her from those cobalt eyes was simply overwhelming, “When did you become such a sweet talker?”

Byleth rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, “I uh, I may have asked Dorothea to help me a couple weeks ago.”

Edelgard turned back to the woman, eyebrows raised in disbelief, “Weeks?”

“I wanted to make sure I could do it perfectly.”

Edelgard placed her hand over the one on her cheek, “Your enthusiasm for matters of the heart are as endearing as always.”

“So, uh,” Byleth’s gaze shifted to the water before them, “It might be a while before we’re able to get a break like this again. Wanna test the waters?”

Edelgard’s expression shifted to one of trepidation, “I… You’ll stay by my side?”

Byleth took Edelgard’s hand in her own, flashing her wife a reassuring smile, “Always, my heart.”

* * *

Edelgard had to admit, the water… might not be all that bad. Though it was no doubt due to the presence of the teal-haired woman at her side. Byleth slowly led Edelgard to the edge of the water, their feet sinking into the sand less and less as they stepped onto the more compact, soaked earth, the cold waves lapping at their toes. Logically, Edelgard knew the ocean would be cold. However experiencing it was entirely different.

Byleth bit back a chuckle as a squeak caught in Edelgard’s throat at the freezing sensation of the water washing over her feet, “You’ll get used to it. It helps if we move around,” Byleth took a step only to be halted by an unmoving Edelgard still gripping her hand, “El?”

Anxiety wrinkled the Emperor’s brow, her other hand still holding her sunhat on her head. Byleth stepped back close to the woman, keeping her voice low and gentle, “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Edelgard took a deep breath, “No, I must face this sooner or later.”

“El it’s not some hurdle you must jump or lose the future like before. This one is entirely up to you. And only comes with the consequence of not getting wet.”

“That is precisely why I must,” The Emperor’s lips pressed into a line, her face settling into a determined glare at the ocean before her, “It is my choice.”

Byleth’s expression softened, “Alright, El. Take my hands, I promise not to let you go.”

Edelgard moved to do just that, before the lifting of her hat sent her hand back up to her head, the woman beginning to worry her lip, “My ears.”

“Hey,” Byleth took El’s face in both her hands, leaning in until she could feel the hot puffs of her wife’s anxious breathing, “Anyone feels like commenting on things that aren’t any of their business, they deal with me. You worked so hard, sacrificed so much to be here in this moment. I think you deserve to let yourself be free, don’t you?”

Edelgard allowed herself a small smile as she leaned into her wife’s touch, “As always, you’re able to reassure me so easily, my light.”

“I endeavour to tell you nothing but the truth.”

Edelgard chuckled softly, “Of course, dear,” She released Byleth’s hand, her own hovering over the brim of her hat. Edelgard’s eyes shot an anxious glance to Byleth once more, the former professor’s encouraging smile never leaving her face. Steeling herself, Edelgard pulled the had from her head, freeing her long silver locks to fully fly free in the wind. Her pointed ears now fully exposed. Elation overtook her and in a fleeting moment of whimsy, she threw the hat to the wind. Nearly as soon as she let it go she seemed to realize what she had done, grimacing as the hat was carried into the sea. 

“Heyyy,” Byleth pouted, “I had to pay Anna extra to get a hat that nice.”

Edelgard laid a hand against Byleth’s arm apologetically, “I’m sorry, my love. I’ll make it up to you later.”

Byleth perked up as she turned back to her wife, “You can make it up to me now!” She held her hand out to the Emperor, gaze shifting between the woman and the water next to them, “If you still want to, that is.”

Edelgard practically beamed as she took the offered hand, “Lead the way, My light. As always, I will walk with you.”


End file.
